


Sun Boy

by Verse



Series: Digimon college au [1]
Category: Digimon - All Media Types, Digimon Frontier, Digimon Tamers
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, F/M, Polyamory
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-03
Updated: 2018-08-03
Packaged: 2019-06-21 08:39:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,713
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15553863
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Verse/pseuds/Verse
Summary: Takuya Kanbara, Kouichi thinks, is either a stoner, a fae, or a stalker.





	Sun Boy

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Maryke](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maryke/gifts), [FlameofSwords](https://archiveofourown.org/users/FlameofSwords/gifts).



> Happ early bday nerds

Hands warm like a blanket, smile bright as a star, fire dancing in his eyes.   
  
_ Sun Boy _ , Kouichi thinks immediately. This man is the Sun Boy.   
  
"We have physics together!" He beams, and he looks so surprised and pleased for someone who Kouichi had never seen in his entire life.   
  
"...that we do." He's not sure. What to say?   
  
Sun Boy just laughs, and lays his palm on Kouichi's shoulder. "You really don't talk much, do you?"   
  
Well. To be fair. He doesn't.   
  
"Let's have lunch together later, okidoki?" And with a wave the Sun Boy is gone, a hurricane in human skin.   
  
Huh.   
  
Well.    
  
That was.    
  
Strange.

 

* * *

 

The tray clatters loudly next to Kouichi, and Takato jumps, startled.

“Hey hey hey!” The voice rolls, shapeless and warm, like sticking hands in a hot tube. Its owner claims his seat next to Kouichi without a single care for the world.

It’s the Sun Boy again.

“How y’all doing?” He says, waving at Takato and Juri, who are both giving looks similar to the gif of this one guy rapidly blinking and shaking his head. Thankfully, or maybe not, the guy catches sight of Takato’s headwear, and continues on before an awkward silence can settle. “Ooh, a fellow gogglehead I see. You been asked if you were part of a gang yet?”

Sun Boy has a. Peculiar. Way of making first impressions, it seems.

“I…” Takato seems a little overwhelmed, ducking his head in his shoulders like a startled bird. “Yes.”

Wait. What?

“For real?” Juri asks. She doesn’t seem to have heard of it, either.

“Yeah, me and Ruki’s first meeting.” Kouichi finds himself unsurprised. He has yet to actually meet Ruki in person, but every single story Takato and Jenrya tell of her is wilder than the previous one. “She asked how an ‘emotional twinkie’ like me could make it to top tier of the Crest Gang. Then she challenged me to a fight.”

Oh boy. Juri nods thoughtfully. “Yeah, that… that sounds in character for her.”

“Yeah. Apparently Masaru told her that’s how it works in his squad? I don’t know.” Takato shrugs and proceeds to cut a potato in half.

“Wild.” Kouichi comments. As random as it sounded at first, it _is_ an interesting conversation.

The Sun Boy nods with a mouth full of bacon. “I‘d love to meet whatever gogglehead got those rumors started to be honest. I’m sure it would be some  _ fun.” _

Kouichi snorts at that. Anyone who can make Takato sounds intimidating truly deserves an award. “That’s true.”

“At least it’s funnier than the usual comments I get.” Sun Boy shrugs with a grin. “Which are a hundred percent my fault, I’ll admit.” He elbows Kouichi playfully- who really isn’t sure how he’s supposed to react to that? “Remember that time you told me not to eat fire?”

Kouichi did no such thing, but he supposes he either misheard or the man has just a weird way to speak. He seems to have a weird way to do a lot of things.

Regardless he really hopes Sun Boy wasn’t being literal.

(Though Kouichi has a nagging suspicion he was.)

 

* * *

 

The Sun Boy finds him at the noodle shop, which really isn’t surprising considering half the campus goes there. His eyes go wide at the sight of Kouichi, eyebrows disappearing under his hair.

“I didn’t know you worked there!! So  _ that’s _ why you keep changing shirts during the day!”

“I… what?” It’s not the first time Sun Boy says something puzzling like this, but Kouichi doesn’t think he’ll ever get used to it. “I only wear one shirt- oh, whatever. Are you going to order or what?” it’s not that he doesn’t  _ want _ to chat with Sun Boy. But as chill as Daisuke is Kouichi is still an employee and he has a job to do.

Sun Boy nods seriously- food, Kouichi has noticed, is one of the few things Sun Boy doesn’t joke around with, along with fire and chemistry experiment safety. “Right, right!”

 

* * *

 

“Seriously?!”

Juri brings her hand to her mouth, trying to stifle a giggle, which would be the cutest thing Kouichi has ever seen if he was blushing to his roots at the moment. Takato doesn’t bother pretending, laughing out loud with his hands hovering above the keyboard.

“It’s a real problem, guys!” Maybe he should have gone to Jenrya instead. Jenrya wouldn’t have made fun of him. He would have only judged with that vicious rabbit of his. Silently.

“Right, right.” Juri shakes her head, smile still wide on her face. “Well, why don’t you just ask him?”

“But we’ve been talking for  _ weeks _ now!” didn’t she get it?! “I can’t ask for his  _ name-  _ I’d look like a terrible friend!”

“I thought you two weren’t friends, though?” Takato spins on his chair to face him- accidentally hitting the enter key with his elbow, resulting in Guilmon’s screen getting filled with  _ I want bread _ behind him. Serves him right.

“I… I dunno, dude.” because Kouichi doesn’t  _ know _ the guy, not really. But also, he knows him  _ too much- _ he knows he likes soccer, and he knows he’s a chemistry major, and he knows he has a little brother in high school. And the other way around; Sun Boy knows too much about him, his tastes, his life, to be a simple acquaintance.

Juri rubs sets a palm on his shoulder. “Well, good luck figuring things out.”

 

* * *

 

Kouichi’s problem comes to a solution on a sunny day in the park.

“Wow, you draw well.” Sun Boy comments above his shoulder.

Kouichi glances at the sketch on his knees. It’s supposed to be Juri, arms spread, feeling the wind. He guesses it’s good enough to the outside eye. It feels like it’s missing something to him, though. It hardly does Juri’s beauty any justice.

“Thanks, I guess.” He says simply, and snaps his notebook closed with barely-hidden frustration. He really shouldn’t get so worked up about a practice drawing- but majoring in art, he finds, make it hard for him to draw just for the pleasure of it.

Sun Boy raises an eyebrow and squints his eyes, concerned. The man is the most oblivious and obnoxious thing regarding a lot of topics- but at times, he can be ridiculously perceptive.

“Do you…” he pauses, seemingly hesitant as to how to go at it. “Do you want to play soccer or something ? I can call some friends over.”

The offer to change his mind is sweet. Kouichi shakes his head, though. “Thanks, but I’d be terrible. Not the sporting type.”

Takuya snorts and glances at Kouichi’s thighs. “Fair enough, but honestly you shouldn’t worry about that- Daisuke always tells me “Takuya, start playing with the team”, “Takuya, stop playing all by yourself”, “Takuya, just pass the fucking ball already”. If it’s about performance really we can all be terrible together.”

Takuya.

That’s the first time Kouichi hears Sun Boy’s name.

He makes sure to file the information up. They are, after all, by some twist of fate, friends.

“...wait, Daisuke? You’re friend with my boss??”

 

* * *

 

He confesses to Juri on a Thursday morning.

She’s beautiful, pulling her hair behind her ear, she’s beautiful, laughing quietly, she’s beautiful, so beautiful, and Kouichi decides that she deserves to know that.

“I’m in love with you.” he says. He’s an artist, not a writer; he can’t paint with words the way he does with a brush. If nothing else, though, he can be straightforward.

Juri pauses, blinks once, twice, and answers. “Okay.”

Well. Not the answer he hoped for, but not one he feared, either. At least he didn’t ruin their friendship.

He grabs Takato briefly outside of statistics, because he knows his friend has been pining for Juri for as long as he has.

“I told Juri my feelings.” he says. “She said okay.”

Takato nods, frowns, but with Kouichi’s reassurance that really he’s cool with that answer, he excuses himself to go to his next class.

The rest of the day goes smoothly free of incidents. Until Juri corners him at the end of his last class, that is.

“Wait!” She’s breathless and flushed- did she run? For a second Kouichi is scared something bad happened. “I’m sorry, that was a really shitty answer!!”

She has a way to surprise him today, it seems. Juri is far from done though; she inhales deeply, and goes on.

“Look, it’s complicated,  _ I’m _ complicated, I, I like you a lot. A lot lot. But I’m not sure if it’s  _ that _ kind of lot lot. Cuz I wouldn’t mind dating you and stuff, I'd like that, I think, but I could say the same thing about Takato, and I, I don’t want to lose either of you, and it’s all confusing and messing with my head.”

By the time she finishes her speech, a small crowd had formed around them, and Juri is out of breath. Kouichi isn’t thinking when he rushes toward her to hold her, cautious of her shaking knees.

“Hey, hey, there, there.” He rubs her back in circles. “Deep breaths, calm down. Everything's fine. No one’s angry.”

Suddenly it hits him, that really, he should be. If not angry then jealous at the very least. She just admitted to being unable to pick between him and Takato, didn’t she? She didn’t even have the decency to reject him properly.

But he isn't. He can't be, honestly. Not when she’s wheezing and panting in his arms, not when she just bared her heart at him- and certainly not when the third party is  _ Takato _ of all people. If there’s anyone Juri should reasonably want to date, it’s Takato.

Modern media, Kouichi thinks, make love triangles appear a lot simpler than they actually are.

“It’s alright, we can just… continue being friends like before.” He smiles gently at her to hide his nervousness. Damn his quiet nature; he has no idea how to articulate his feelings. “I mean, if you want to change things, I’m down. But, erm… don’t feel rushed? Take your time.”

Juri looks at him like he’s grown a second head for a second- then she starts laughing and hugs him.

“Thanks. You’re sweet.” She buries her face in his chest. “I’m sorry I’m like this.”

“I told you, it's fine. Feelings are complicated and all.” He strokes her hair. “I wasn’t expecting an answer at all, to be frank.”

“Ah… well…” she has a nervous chuckles, the kind when you’re about to tell someone you ate the last of their pie. “Takato found me earlier. He… told me he loved me.” Juri closes her eyes. “And then he asked me what the fuck kind of answer was the one I gave you.”

Kouichi laughs too.

 

* * *

 

When Kouichi turns twenty-two, he goes to the movies with his two best friends.

It may or may not be a date.

In one hand, Takato was there, and Kouichi is very much straight. (Takato is very much not, but Kouichi knows that his friend’s type in men is more of the sunny, reckless, sporty type.)

On the other hand, Juri held him firmly with her right the entire time.

She held Takato with her left too, for that matter. She’s been doing this more often lately, the touchy thing. Hugging him longer than necessary here. Kissing Takato on the cheek there. Letting her fingers wander over them at times.

Sun Boy snorts when he notices. “So what, you all three dating yet?”

Kouichi shrugs, because he knows that Takuya might make fun of a lot of things but he doesn’t actually  _ judge _ . “Frankly? I have  _ no _ fucking idea.”

This sends Takuya into another fit of laughter. “Well, good luck with…” he makes a vague gesture at Kouichi “whatever this is.”

“Thanks.” Kouichi says.

Then a wrapped package is thrust upon his face.

“Happy birthday by the way! I ought to be the one to give you a normal gift. I heard lit major were crazy for it.”

Sun Boy is smiling bright as his nickname. So happy. So proud.

Kouichi takes the gift. He’s… touched, actually. Really touched.

“How did you know it was my birthday?” He asks, because he’s sure he’s never mentioned it.

Takuya laughs. “You told me, dumbass.”

No. No he didn't.

Maybe, Kouichi thinks, the rumor of faes and fairy grounds have  _ some _ basis.

 

* * *

 

Kouichi doesn't get to go home often; he simply lives too far, and it's too expensive for him to go back every weekends. It made him pretty homesick the first few months, but that means he could use the time to study up- and Takato always invited him and Juri at his house whenever he got back.

This time he has two whole week off, though, and his grandmother’s ill, so he packs a couple shirts and hijacks Jenrya’s car.

“Stay safe!” Juri tells him. (She never goes home herself, unless she absolutely has to, for a lot of reasons Kouichi wouldn’t feel right repeating.)

Her hands slide behind his neck, and she kisses him. Full on the mouth.

“I’d hate to lose one of my boyfriends.” She says, blushing.

Boyfriend.

It’s the first time she uses that word.

He likes the sound of that.

Kouichi is grinning like an idiot the entire drive.

 

* * *

 

He spends the entire first week following the holidays in a daze. Kouichi does not go to Jenrya's weekly DnD session, nor does he go drawing in the park, nor does he check the college facebook furry group.

“I’m fine.” He tells those who notice the dark rings under his eyes. “My grandmother just died. I’m still processing.”

Which is not a lie. There’s just a detail he forgets on purpose to mention, except to Takato and Juri.

And to Takuya, oddly enough, because despite their strange start Kouichi has no choice but to recognize him as one of his closest friends now.

Besides, the guy is so straightforward and open and  _ bright _ , Kouichi can’t help but feel like he should be, too.

“I have a twin brother. We were separated at birth.” there. Clean, simple.

“Oh my god.” Takuya stops with his fork midway to his mouth, eyes wide. “You are a K drama protagonist.”

The comparaison gets him to smile. “I know, right?” Kouichi sighs, in a way that might be a little dramatic, but his whole world just got flipped around so screw it. “I don't even know anything about the guy beside his name. For all I know he could be halfway across the country, or- I don’t know, in jail, or something.”

Sun Boy makes this one face, when all he’s thinking is “wild” but he wants to be a little more sensitive. “How’s dude called? Kouichi? That’d explain why you’re named Kouji- first light, second light, that’d make sense.” he says casually, and Kouichi’s brain short-circuits.

“Wait. What?” He frowns, gears turning slowly. “Wait. Wait. Back down. What did you just call me?”

Takuya blinks rapidly. “Uh. Kouji? You know. Your name?”

Kouji is a name alright. One Kouichi even knows.

But it’s not his own.

“You… think I’m named Kouji.” He repeats slowly. That is not- this is not- this whole situation is just- Kouichi thinks, hard, really hard, but he just- utterly fails at finding an explanation.

Takuya frowns, concerned. “Yes?” He gets up his chair and sets a hand on Kouichi’s shoulder. “Dude, are you alright? Are you going bipolar on me again?” W. What. What th. Kouichi hears the words, hears the sentence, but Takuya might as well have been speaking mandarin all the sudden.

Wordlessly, Kouichi rummages through his pocket, pulls out his student card, and hands it to Takuya.

In the span of a few seconds, Sun Boy’s face goes from confusion, to puzzlement, to absolute bafflement.

“You’re… not my roommate.” He says dumbly, and suddenly it all makes sense-

_ We have physics together! You really don't talk much, do you? Remember that time you told me not to eat fire? So that’s why you keep changing shirts during the day!I heard lit major were crazy for it. You told me, dumbass. Are you going bipolar on me again? _

“Well,” Takuya says hesitantly, “that does explain your memory problems.”

Holy mother of  _ shit _ .

**Author's Note:**

> the tumblr's @versegm y'all!


End file.
